Grinding machine



Oct. 20, 19311. c, BOOTH 1,828,387

GRINDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 28, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fi [Q 4- u 1Patented Oct. 20, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLEMENT BOOTH, OFCINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO CINCINNATI GRINDERS IN- CORPORATED, OFCINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO GRINDING MACHINE Applicationfiled August 28, 1930. Serial No. 478,419.

This invention relates to improvements in machine tools and especiallyto improvements in centerless grinders.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is the provisionof an improved mechanism for use with a standard centerless grinder forplacing inand removing a work piece from the throat thereof.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved loadingand ejecting mechanism for use in presenting work pieces, such as largespherical objects, billiard balls, or the like, to and removing samefrom the throat of a centerless grinder.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a semi-automaticcenterless grinder for expeditiously finishing normally difficult tohandle work pieces for increasing the production thereof and reducingtheir cost to a minimum.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readilyapparent by reference to the following specification considered inconjunction with the accompanying drawings,and it is to be understoodthat any modifications may be made in the exact structural details thereshown and described, within the scope of the appended claims, withoutdeparting from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a machine embodying theimprovements of this invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary end elevation of the machine shown in Figure 1as seen on line 2-2 thereon.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken transversely of the machine as seenfrom line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of the hydraulic valve used withthis invention.

Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the throat of a centerless grindershowing the work in position between the wheels thereof.

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view of the opposed grinding and regulatingwheels having the work therebetween.

Throughout the several views of the drawings similarreference charactersare employed to denote the same or similar parts.

The machine as shown in Figure 1 00111- prises a bed 10 having fixed atone end thereof for rotation a grinding wheel 11 rotatable at a high orgrinding rate of speed in a clockwise direction as indicated by thearrow on its housing 12. Opposed to the grinding wheel 11 is aregulating wheel 13 rotatable in a clockwise direction at a relativelyslow work controlling rate of speed. and is enclosed within a housing 14forming part of the regulating Wheel unit 15. The active peripheralfaces of the wheels 11 and 13 are respectively formed with grooves 16and 17 as seen in Figure 8, and the said wheels are. spaced from oneanother to form a grinding throat therebetween conforming substantiallyto the ultimate size and shape to be given to the work 18. As shown inFigure 8, the grinding wheel 11 rotates in a plane normal to the axis ofits supporting spindle 19, while the regulating wheel 13 rotates in aplane at an angle to the axis of rotation of its supporting spindle 20,while the grooves 16 and 17 rotate in parallel planes tandem to oneanother. By this construction the grinding wheel groove 16 is flanked onopposite sides thereof by uninterrupted flanges 21 and 22, while theregulating wheel groove 17 is flanked by interrupted flanges 23 and 2 1.The inner operative faces of the flanges 23 and 24 act as cams forrotating the work 18 about a multiplicity of axes, the said interruptedflanges exerting a rotation thrust first in one direction and then inthe opposite direction.

The regulating wheel unit 15 is formed integral with a slide 25.translatable relative to a second or lower slide 26, supported by andmovable relative to ways 27 formed on bed 10. Clamp mechanisms 28 and 29are provided for respectively securing the upper slide 25 and regulatingwheel unit 15 to the lower slide 26 for movement therewith and forclamping the said lower slide 26 to the bed 10. The inner end of theslide 26 is provided n with a block supporting a work rest blade 31 forthe work 18. The said block 30 is therefore positioned directly beneaththe grinding throat. To feed the work 18 into the grinding wheel 11 toefiect a stock removal therefrom, the regulating wheel unit 15 isactuated toward the said grinding wheel. For this purpose an adjustingscrew 32 is provided having one end in threaded engagement with a nut 33carried by the unit 15, and on its opposite end with a pilot or handwheel 34 for efiecting said rotation, the adjusting screw 32 beingrotatably, but not translatably, journaled in a bracket 35 secured tothe bed 10.

The pilot or hand wheel 34 is utilized for adjusting the grinding andregulating wheels relative to one another for initially setting up themachine to adjust the grinding throat to the ultimate size of the workpiece to be produced. In practice and for opening and closing the throatto permit the insertion and withdrawal of the work, there is provided amanually actuable infeed lever 36 having its lower end 37 secured to thenut 33. The said lever is in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 foropening the grinding throat to permit the insertion of the work,whereupon said lever is actuated to the left, or in a counterclockwisedirection, as seen in Figure 2, for actuating the regulating wheel 13toward the grinding wheel 11. While the grinding throat is expanded orwidened, the finished work piece 18 is replaced by an unfinished one bymeans now to be described.

The work rest block 30 has secured thereto on one side of the grindingthroat a bracket 37 having a flange 38 at one end thereof resting uponthe block 30. A cylinder 39 has one end secured to the flange 38 and itsother end secured by lock nut 40 to a lug or arm 41 extending from thebracket 37. A piston 42 is enclosed within the cylinder 39 for movementaxially therethrough. A piston rod 43 extends from the piston 42 beyondpacking glands 44, secured to the arm 41 at the upper end of thecylinder 39. The upper end of the piston rod 43 is secured by lock nuts45 to bracket 46 extending from carrier slide 47. The said slide 47 hasextending 'from the opposite ends guides 48 and 49 received in guidewaysformed by guide member 50 and front plates 51. The guide 50 is integralwith and extends from the bracket 37 for guiding the slide or carriage47 during its vertical movements by the piston 42 and piston rod 43.

A port 52 communicates with the lower end of the cylinder 39, and asecond port 53 communicates with the upper end thereof. A conduit orpipe 54 extends from the port 52, while a simllar conduit or pipe 55extends from the port 53, the said conduits respectively terminate atopposite sides 56 and 57 of a three way valve 58. Opposed sides 59 and60 of the valve 58 communicate respectively with the exhaust and.pressure source of an hydraulic system. As shown in Fig ure 6 thepressure side 60 of the valve 58 is connected with conduit 55 extendingto the upper end of the cylinder 39, while the lower end of saidcylinder is connected to conduit 54 with the exhaust side 59 of the saidvalve 58.

For supporting the work, or spherical articles, and carrying same intoand from the grinding throat, the slide or carriage 47 has extendingtherefrom pins 61 and 62 extending through the upper and lower ends ofarms 63 and 64. The said arms are respectively provided at their lowerends with tingers 65 and 66 each having a tapered upper surface 67 and68 forming a pocket for the work or ball 18 The arms 63 and 64 aresecurely pinned or otherwise secured to the pins 61 and 62. As shown inFigure 3, the work carrying pocket does not support the work during theactual grinding operation, but merely carries the work to the work restblade 31 for positioning same thereon. To prevent inadvertent contactbetween the work or ball and the wheels, guide members 69 and 70 areprovided, the former being adjacent the grinding wheel, while the latteris adjacent the regulating wheel, and each are provided at their lowerends with tapered surfaces 7] and 72 to clear the active faces of thegrinding and regulating wheels and guide the ball or work to the actualpoint of grinding. The said guiding arms or fingers 69 and 70 aresecured by bolts or the like 73 to the forked ends 74 of a bracketmember 75, secured to an upstanding bracket 76, in turn carried by thework supporting block 30.

For controlling Llle flow of the hydraulic pressure through the valve58, it is provided with a key or cook 77 having connecting ports 78 and79 formed therein, the former connecting the intake or pressure side 60of the valve 58 with either of the conduits 54 and 55, while the latterconnects either of said conduits with the exhaust side 59 of the valve58. The key 77 is provided with the usual operating portion 80 securedto which is a lever 81 having its lower end connected by link 82 with anarm 83, see Figure 3. The arm 83 is keved to, for movement with, a stubshaft 84 rotatably journaled in an extension 85 of the work rest block30. A rack pinion 86 is keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft 84 forrotating said shaft, and meshes with a rack bar 87 slidably journaled inbearings 88 and 89 extending from the Work rest block 30. The outer endof the rack bar 87 has secured thereto a block 90 having a verticalgroove 91 formed therein for a roller 92 carried by arm 93 fast on theinner end of rock shaft 94. The other end of the said rock shaft 94carries a pinion 95 having its teeth meshed with rack 96 on slide bar97.

The other end of the bar 97 is provided with a notch 98 receiving pin 99extending from the oscillatable manual infeed lever 36.

The complete operation of the improved mechanism is as follows: assumingthe parts to be in the position shown in the drawings with a work piecein the throat and resting on the angle top of the work rest blade 31.l'nfeed lever 36' would be actuated in a counterclockwise direction, asseen in Figure 2, which would rotate the nut 33 causing a translatingmovement of the upper slide 25 relative to the lower slide 26, feedingthe work piece or ball 18 into the. grinding wheel for effecting a stockremoval therefrom. The regulating wheel 13 would control the rotationof. the ball and, through the interrupted flanges or cams 23 and 24,cause a rotation of the said ball about a multiplicity of axes, therebypresenting the entire surface of the Work or ball to the action of thegrinding wheel. After the lever has reached the limit of its move--ment, the wheels are momentarily held against further travel,permitting a sparking out of the grinding wheel and to produce thedesired finish on the work. The lever 36 is then returned to theposition shown in Figures 1 and 2, which through the slide lever 97 andcoupling 9695 actuates the key or cock 7 7 of the valve 58 forconnecting the hydraulic pressure with the lower end of the cylinder 39for raising the piston in said cylinder and carriage 47 thereby liftingthe work or ball to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3,whereupon the said Work or ball 18 may be lifted from the pocket formedat the lower ends of the arms 63 and (Sal and an unfinished work pieceplaced therein. The lever 36 is then again actuated in acounter-clockwise direction for first shifting the valve to connect thehydraulic pressure through the cock 77 with the conduit 55 lowering thepiston 42 and carrier 47 to place the work 18 on the angle top of thework rest 31.

Continued movement of the lever 36 again feeds the second ball into thegrinding wheel 11. The operation of the machine continues by firstactuating the lever 36 in one direction and then in the other wherebythe work is automatically lowered into the throat, reduced to thedesired size, finished in the throat and raised therefrom.

From the foregoing it will be evident that blade within the throatsupporting the work for simultaneous engagement with the wheels, ofmeans for placing the work on the work rest blade and removing sametherefromcomprising a certically shiftable carrier, a pair of armscarried by the carrier having fingers at one end thereof for supportingthe work during movement toward and from the work rest blade, and meansfor effecting movement of the carrier.

2. In a device of the class described the combination with a pair ofopposed grinding and regulating wheels forming a grinding throattherebetween, and a work rest blade within the throat supporting thework for simultaneous engagement with the wheels, of means for placingthe work on the work rest blade and removing same therefrom comprising avertically shiftable carrier, a pair of arms carried by the carrierhaving lingers at one end thereof for supporting the work duringmovement toward and from the work rest blade, means for effectingmovement of the carrier, and means for ac tuating one of the wheelstoward the other to feed the work on the blade into the grinding wheel.

3. In a device of the class described the actuating one of the wheelstoward the other to feed the work on the blade into the grinding wheel,and means coupling the wheel moving means and carrier moving means forsequential operation.

4. In a device of the class described the combination of a pair ofopposed grinding and regulating wheels forming a grinding throattherebetween, a work rest blade subtending the grinding threat forsupporting a work piece for simultaneous engagement with the saidwheels, a vertically shiftable carrier for positioning work on the bladeand removing it therefrom comprising a pair of arms carried thereby,each having its one end extending toward the other to form arworkcarrying pocket, means for hydraulically, vertically shifting thecarrier, and means adjacent the opposed active faces of the wheelscooperating with the work carrying arms to form a work guiding chute torevent inadvertent engagement between t e work and wheels.

5. In a machine for grinding spherical articles the combination of apair of opposed grinding and regulating wheels forming a grindin throattherebetween, each of the wheels aving a roove therein conformingsubstantially to t e contour to be produced on the work, one of saidwheels having an interrupted flange flanking its groove whereby the workis rotated about a plurality of axes for presenting its entire surfaceto the grinding wheel, a work rest blade within the grinding throat forsupporting the work during the grinding operation, means verticallyshiftable relative to the grinding throat for placing work on the workrest blade and removing same therefrom, and guide means adj acent theopposed active faces of the wheels forming a work guiding chute toprevent inadvertent engagement between the work and wheels.

6. In a device of the class described the combination of a pair ofopposed grinding and regulating wheels forming a grinding throattherebetween, a work rest blade within the throat for peripherallysupporting work therein, a vertically shiftable carrier adjacent thegrinding throat for placing in and removing work therefrom comprising abracket, a cylinder carried by the bracket, a piston within the cylinderoperatively coupled with the carrier, conduits extending from oppositeends of the cylinder, a source of hydraulic pressure and a three-wayvalve for alternately connecting the pressure source and exhaust withthe conduits for al ternately raising and lowering the carrier.

7 In a device of the class described the combination of a pair ofopposed grinding and regulating wheels forming a grinding throattherebetween, a work loading and ejecting mechanism for placing in andremoving work from the grinding throat comprising a block beneath thesaid throat, a work rest blade carried thereby for supporting the workwhile in engagement with the wheels, a bracket on the block forming avertical guide, a carrier movable vertically of the throat through theguide for placing on and removing work from the work rest blade, armssupported by the carrier each having its one end turned toward the otherto form work carrying fingers, and means for vertically shifting thecarrier.

8. In a device of the class described the combination of a pair ofopposed grinding and regulating wheels forming a grinding throattherebetween, a work loading and ejecting mechanism for placing in andremoving work from the grinding throat comprising a block beneath thesaid throat, a work rest blade carried thereby for supporting the workwhile in engagement with the wheels, a bracket on the block forming aV0!" tical guide, a carrier movable vertically of the throat through theguide for placing on assess? its one end turned toward the other to formwork carrying fingers, means for vertically shifting the carrier, asecond bracket on the block, and guide means carried by the secondbracket cooperating with the carrier arms, forming a work guiding chutefor guidin the work to and from the work rest blade an for preventingpremature engagement of the work with the wheels.

9. In a device of the class described the combination of a pair ofopposed grinding and regulating wheels forming a inding throattherebetween, a work loading and eject-ing mechanism for placing in andremoving work from the grinding throat com prising a block beneath thesaid throat, a work rest blade carried thereby for supporting the workwhile in engagement with the wheels, a bracket on the block forming avertical guide, a carrier movable vertically of the throat through theguide for placin on and removing work from the work'rest blade, armssupported by the carrier each having its one end turned toward the otherto form work carrying fingers, means for vertically shifting thecarrier, a second bracket on the block, guide means carried by thesecond bracket cooperating with the carrier arms forming a work guidingchute for guiding the work to and from the work rest blade and forpreventing premature engagement of the work with the wheels, and meansfor actuating one of the wheels toward the other to feed the work intothe grinding wheel to effect a stock removal from the work.

10. In a device of the class described the combination with a pair ofopposed grinding and regulating wheels forming a grinding throattherebetween, a work rest blade sub tending the grinding throat forsupporting the work while in engagement with the wheels, a verticallyshiftable carrier for placing work pieces on the blade and removing sametherefrom including a pair of arms supported thereby and having theirends turned toward one another forming work supporting fingers,hydraulic means for effecting the vertical movement of the carrierincluding an oscillatable three-way valve, guide means cooperating withthe work carrying arms forming a work guiding chute, means for feedingone of the wheels toward the o her to feed the work into the grindingwheel and effect a stock removal therefrom comprising a manuallyshiftable lever, and means operable by said lever for oscillating thevalve and effecting a shifting movement of the carrier in sequentialorder with the movement of the lever.

11. In a device of the class described the combination with a pair ofopposed grinding and regulating wheels forming a grinding throattherebetween, a work rest blade subtending the grinding throat forsupportingthe' work while in engagement with the wheels, a verticallyshiftable carrier for placing work pieces on the blade and removing sametherefrom including a pair of arms supported thereby and having theirends turned toward one another formlng work supporting fingers,hydraulic means for effecting-the vertical movement of the carrierincluding an oscillatable three-way valve, guide means cooperating withthe work carrying arms forming a work uiding chute, means for feedingone of the w eels toward the other to feed the work into the grindingwheel and efl'ect a stock removal therefrom comprising a manuallyshiftable lever, means operable by said lever for oscillating the valveand effecting a shifting movement of the carrier in sequential orderwith the movement of the lever, said means comprising a rock shaft, aslide rod connected with the oscillatable valve, and an operativecoupling between the rock shaft and slide rod for convertin theoscillations of the rock shaft into reclprocations ofzthe slide valve.

12. In a mechanism for feeding and ejecting spherical or other formedwork pieces relative to the throat of a centerless grinder thecombination of a vertically movable carrier, supporting pins carriedthereby, arms spacedly secured to the pins a distance corresponding tothe size of the work, fingers extending toward one another formed onadjacent ends of the arms and forming a work support, and ide meanscooperating with the arms an forming therewith a work guiding chute.

13. In a mechanism for feeding and ejecting spherical or other formedwork pieces relative to the throat of a centerless grinder thecombination of a vertically movable carrier, supporting pins carriedthereby, arms spacedly secured to the pins a distance corresponding tothe size of the work, fingers extending toward one another formed on ad-]acent ends of the arms and forming a work support, guide meanscooperatingwith the arms and forming therewith a work guiding chute, andmeans for vertically shifting the carrier comprising a piston securedthereto, a cylinder for the piston, conduits extending from oppositeends of the cylinder, a valve coupled to the other end of the conduits,a

pressure source and an exhaust coupled to the valve, and an oscillatableplug in the valve having ports therein for alternately connecting thepressure source and exhaust with the conduits for alternately efi'ectinga raisin and a lowering'of the carrier.

14. in a device of the class described the combination with a pair ofopposed grinding and regulating wheels forming a grinding throattherebetween, a work rest blade subtending the grinding throat forsupporting work while in engagement with the wheels,

of means for placing in and removing work from the work rest bladecomprising a vertically shiftable carrier, hydraulic means for effectingsaid shifting of the carrier comprising a pressure source and anexhaust, a conduit extending from opposite ends of the carrier, a valvecomprising a body ortion receiving one terminus of each of t e conduitsandthe terminus of the pressure source 'and exhaust, an oscillatablecock carried by the body portion for alternately connecting the pressuresource and exhaust with the conduits, means for feeding one of thewheels toward the other to feed the work into the grinding wheel andeffect a stock removal therefrom, means for alternately oscillating thevalve cock, and a lost motion connection between the wheel moving meansand means for oscillating the cock whereby the said cock and wheel aremoved in sequential order for first connecting the pressure source withone of the conduits for lowering the carrier to place an unfinished workpiece on the work rest blade, then actuating one of the wheels towardthe other to feed the work into the grinding throat, then retract saidwheel at the completion of the grinding operation,

K CLEMENT 0 TH.

